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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24865597">we aren’t so one-dimensional after all</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/coykoi/pseuds/coykoi'>coykoi</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Spideychelle Week 2020 [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Multiverse, Soulmate AU, Spider-Man Identity Reveal</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 00:41:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,334</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24865597</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/coykoi/pseuds/coykoi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“You really don’t feel it?”</p><p>“No. Maybe it’s just the universe playing a colossal joke on me, but I really don’t feel...anything.”</p><p>When the world crashes and burns, your soulmate is supposed to be the one to help pick you back up.</p><p>But when Peter’s world crashes and burns, the lack of a soulmate in his life doesn’t do him much good.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Michelle Jones/Peter Parker, Peter Parker &amp; Ned Leeds</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Spideychelle Week 2020 [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1797901</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>126</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Spideychelle Week 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>we aren’t so one-dimensional after all</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>okay soulmates? not my fav but it’s done :)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“You really don’t feel it?”</p><p>“No. Maybe it’s just the universe playing a colossal joke on me, but I really don’t feel...anything.”</p><p>Soulmates, they’re a fickle little concept.</p><p>Peter has never understood the meaning behind them.</p><p>When he was a child, his aunt had tried explaining what the sensation in his chest meant, the feeling that was supposedly like a magnetic force—a type of attraction that brings you to your soulmate. She said it was a different type of science.</p><p>But there was no sensation, no feeling of attraction or repulsion in his chest. Maybe he was an anomaly, an outlier, or maybe there was a key component that he just hadn’t grasped yet. As an eight year old, the word soulmate didn’t matter to him. He didn’t care.</p><p>Now, as a sixteen year old, Peter cares. He cares that he’s still lacking the feeling, cares that he’s missing out on what’s supposed to be the peak of living. Everyone, including his friends and family, feels that magnetism.</p><p>Everyone except for him.</p><p>And the longer the feeling evades him, the more the skepticism grows.</p><p>Now, Peter has always been a fan of the concrete sciences, leaning towards the side of evidence and data. He likes what he can see and touch, or even experiment on. </p><p>Having a soulmate doesn’t fall under that category. You can’t prove that they exist based on some split-soul theory from old mythology and a <i>sensation</i> in your chest.</p><p>“But, dude, you can’t knock the word of everyone else just because you don’t have one,” Ned always tells him, having already found his ties within a fellow classmate of theirs—Betty Brant. “They exist.”</p><p>“I’m not knocking anything. I’m just saying...it doesn’t make sense. The universe doesn’t have a hold on who we like or love or spend the rest of our lives with.” </p><p>“You’re really saying that in a world of mutants...and superheroes and off-world aliens, soulmates are the only thing you’re having trouble grasping? Peter, you got bit by a freaking radioactive spider—”</p><p>“That’s science, Ned. There’s tangible proof of it. But, soulmates? I just can’t buy into it.”</p><p>“Would you still say that if you had one?”</p><p>Peter merely shrugs, unable to answer that because the fact of the matter is, he doesn’t have one—doesn’t know what it would be like. “Maybe. I just...I don’t know, Ned.” </p><p>“I can’t believe I’m best friends with a skeptic. Maybe I should bring you to a fortune teller so I can hear you bash their ideologies, too,” Ned grumbles, covering his face with both hands.</p><p>“Can we please forget about the whole...soulmate thing? At least until after we get back from our vacation in Europe,” Peter says with a half-smile. “Our science vacation in Europe. All I want is to spend some time with my friends.”</p><p>“Friends, huh?” Ned twists his head, sneaking a look at the red-headed girl down the hall. “Like Mary Jane? Are you gonna enact a plan to woo her on this vacation? I know we’re going to Paris.”</p><p>Peter ignores his best friend’s suggestive look. “It’s not—we don’t like each other like that. Really. Besides, she feels the whole soulmate pull, right? Which means she’s already got someone else.”</p><p>“Fine,” he groans, melodramatic. “So, what, you’re going to be a bachelor in Europe? I mean, that’s pretty sweet, too. Europeans love Americans.”</p><p>Peter squints at him.<br/>
<br/>
</p>
<hr/><p><br/>
Turns out, Peter’s science summer vacation in Europe isn’t so much educational as it is being dragged away by Fury and his gang of SHIELD agents to an underground base. It’s fine. Everything’s fine.</p><p>“You can lose the mask. Everyone here's seen you without it. You'd only be feigning anonymity and breathing through spandex for no good reason,” Fury tells them, and Peter swallows nervously, complying. “Come on.”</p><p>“Yeah,” he utters quietly, cautious, his gaze finding a man polishing a gun.</p><p>“Over there we have Maria Hill.” Fury then gestures to the man, who suddenly cocks his gun. “That’s Dimitri.”</p><p>Peter bobs his head up and down, offering an awkward thumb’s up. “Seems like a cool guy.”</p><p>“And this is Mr. Beck.”</p><p>“Oh,” Peter whispers, eyes widening. “Mysterio. I mean, uh, that’s what my friends have been calling you. Sorry.” He holds a hand out to shake. “I’m Peter. Parker.”</p><p>Mysterio returns the handshake, his smile friendly enough. “You can call me Quentin. You handled yourself well out there today. I saw what you did with the tower. We could use someone like you in my world.”</p><p>“Thanks.” Peter then pauses, blinks once or twice. It takes a moment to sink in. “I’m sorry, what? Your world?”</p><p>“Mr. Beck is from Earth. Just not yours.”</p><p>“There are multiple realities, Peter,” Mysterio elaborates, eyes flitting across the holographic diagrams. “This is Earth, Dimension 616. I'm from Earth 833.”</p><p>Peter grins excitedly, his brain already filling with questions. For once, something isn’t just theoretical. </p><p>“You’re saying there’s a multiverse? And it’s not just in theory? Because that’s...that’s insane. That completely changes how we understand the initial singularity. We're talking about an internal inflation system and how does that even work with all the quantum—?”</p><p>“You sure do talk a lot.”</p><p>“Sorry,” he says, awkwardly laughing. “It’s just, there are so many theories on this Earth that no one can prove to me, you know? But the theory of the multiverse...if this is true, then that changes everything.”</p><p>“Yes, quite so, but that’s not why we brought you here. There’s something else...they were born in stable orbits within black holes. Creatures formed from the primary elements: air, water, fire, earth. The Science Division had a technical name. We just called them Elementals.”</p><p>Mysterio goes on to talk about how the Elementals are destroying worlds all around, and Peter is half-listening.</p><p>His mind can’t stop thinking about the possibilities out there if the multiverse is their new reality.<br/>
<br/>
</p>
<hr/><p><br/>
Everything becomes a mess all too soon.</p><p>Peter hadn’t expected the betrayal of Mysterio, but that should teach him to never trust a man in a cape with glasses advanced enough to potentially take over the world.  </p><p>But, even when that was said and done, taken care of to the best of Peter’s ability, it still wasn’t over. He should’ve known Beck would’ve found a loophole, a different route to use to destroy his life.</p><p>“This is breaking news. We come to you now with revelations about last week's attack in London. An anonymous source provided this video, it shows Quentin Beck, AKA, Mysterio, moments before his death. A warning, you may find this video disturbing.”</p><p>Beck’s blood-ridden face is the one to pop up on the big screen.</p><p>“I managed to send the Elemental back into the dimensional rift, but I don't think I'm gonna make it off this bridge alive. Spider-Man attacked me for some reason. He has an army of weaponized drones, Stark technology. He's saying he's the only one who's gonna be the new Iron Man, no one else.”</p><p>Peter’s breath hitches in slight panic as E.D.I.T.H.’s voice comes over the broadcast. He positions himself on the streetlight in case of needing to make a quick escape.</p><p>“Are you sure you want to commence the drone attack? There will be significant casualties.”</p><p>“Do it. Execute them all.”</p><p>
  <i>That’s him. That’s his voice.</i>
</p><p>“This shocking video was released earlier today on the controversial news website, TheDailyBugle.net.”</p><p>J. Jonah Jameson appears with that smug smile of his that makes Peter’s skin crawl. </p><p>“There you have it, folks. Conclusive proof that Spider-Man was responsible for the brutal murder of Mysterio! An inter-dimensional warrior who gave his life to protect our planet, and who will no doubt go down in history as the greatest superhero of all time. But, that's not all. Here's the real blockbuster. Brace yourselves, you might wanna sit down.”</p><p>“Spider-Man's real... Spider-Man's real name is,” Beck prompts on the big screen, a vicious smile hiding behind feigned terror. “Spider-Man's name is Peter Parker!”</p><p>
  <i>And that’s his picture.</i>
</p><p>Peter knows at that moment that he’s one-hundred percent, downright fucked. </p><p>He doesn’t linger with the crowds, swinging away from the public while his chest beats with an impalpable anxiousness. </p><p>For once, Peter wishes that there was another sensation in his heart, the comfort that the magnetic attraction of soulmates could potentially bring him. Anything would be better than this.</p><p>His phone rings, and he doesn’t answer—doesn’t think he could talk to anyone now without the fear-induced tears coming out first.</p><p>And so, Peter hides in an abandoned warehouse for the night, mourning the loss of his security and privacy. It’s quiet, but it’s so lonely.</p><p>“Mr. Parker.”</p><p>Peter hums noncommittally, half-asleep with the assumption that someone has finally found him and will most likely arrest him. It couldn’t get worse than that.</p><p>But then something whacks him in the face, and he jolts, head whipping up. There’s a floating cape in his peripheral.</p><p>“Oh. Mister—I mean, Dr. Strange,” he utters, voice hoarse. “What...what are you doing here?”</p><p>“I’m here to send you to another...shall we say, reality,” Strange replies, straightening the cuffs of his shirt. “Under the orders of SHIELD, you can’t be in this universe right now.”</p><p>Peter’s eyes widen at the prospect. “What? No—I can’t just leave. My aunt and my friends—”</p><p>“They’re going to be taken into protection for their own good. And this...this is for <i>your</i> own good, Mr. Parker. Damage control will be done while you’re gone, but you cannot be here at the same time.” Strange hesitates and then kneels so they’re on the same level. His expression reads pitying. “Don’t worry. You’ll get to come back.”</p><p>He tries to swallow the lump in his throat. “How long?”</p><p>“As long as it takes. I will send you to a reality that’s not so different than ours, but being Spider-Man is off-limits. Do you hear me?”</p><p>“Yes,” Peter whispers.</p><p>“Good.” Strange stands back up and waves his hand in a circular motion, conjuring a portal. “Remember what I told you.”</p><p>Peter merely nods, hands shaking by his sides, and then steps through.<br/>
<br/>
</p>
<hr/><p><br/>
</p><p>There’s a tug.</p><p>A magnetic sensation in his chest that feels wholly unfamiliar, and yet, not unwelcome.</p><p>Peter knows where he is, knows that he just stepped out of a portal that was located in the alley near Delmar’s sandwich shop. </p><p>Maybe he should’ve asked Strange more questions, because now, they’re the only thing filtering through his mind. Where is he supposed to go? What is he supposed to do? Is there another Peter in this universe that he should avoid?</p><p>Peter shakes his head, willing his brain to shut up for once, and follows his gut. He heads out of the alley and down another street, past the familiar apartments that he and May live in. There’s a library on the corner of the block with its doors wide open.</p><p>Tentatively, he steps inside. The place is massive, quite unlike the local library in his own dimension, but somehow still maintains a feeling of coziness. </p><p>Peter walks between the aisles, dodging other people, and eventually finds himself in the corner of the library. More importantly, in front of the person the pull in his chest led him to.</p><p>It doesn’t make sense.</p><p>Soulmates aren’t science. They’re a theory that shouldn’t exist. There’s no tangible evidence to prove anything.</p><p>But why else would he be here?</p><p>The sound of a book snapping shut breaks Peter out of his thoughts, and his gaze immediately falls to her. He’s suddenly at a loss for words, unable to form coherent sentences, because she’s staring at him with narrowed eyes. The confusion is evident.</p><p>“Hi,” he eventually whispers, his legs bringing him closer because the pull is <i>strong</i>.</p><p>“Who are you?”</p><p>“I’m Peter. I, uh...I’m pretty sure I’m your soulmate.” He hesitates, taking note of the skeptical look on her face. “You know, whatever that means.”</p><p>“And here I thought I lucked out and the universe forgot to give me one,” she replies dryly, shaking her head. </p><p>“Yeah. I didn’t feel anything until I...got here,” Peter supplies, unsure of what it means to have a soulmate from another reality. That <i>really</i> doesn’t make sense. “What’s your name?”</p><p>“Michelle.” She pauses. “Everyone calls me MJ.”</p><p>Peter swallows, thinking about the MJ back in his old dimension and the way she’s so vastly different from this one. “It’s nice to meet you, MJ.”</p><p>Michelle merely nods, averting her eyes. “We aren’t...actually going to do this, right? The whole...soulmate thing?”</p><p>“You don’t want to?”</p><p>“Do you? Because for me, my soulmate didn’t exist until ten minutes ago,” she says, chewing the inside of her cheek. “I felt nothing before, and I was okay with that.”</p><p>“I was, too,” Peter admits, rubbing the back of his neck, but now that he’s actually seen her—felt the connection, things have changed. The theories aren’t so theoretical anymore, and he finds he’s not mad about it. </p><p>“So...what do you want to do, Peter?”</p><p>“Well, we don’t have to do what everyone else does...immediately jump into a relationship and all that. But I was thinking...what if we were just friends?”</p><p>Because, the truth of it is, it doesn’t matter if she’s his soulmate or not. That’s just a label for something that people can’t explain. What Peter needs is a friend, someone to talk to about everything that’s happened recently.</p><p>Michelle considers this and eventually concedes. “We could do that.”</p><p>Peter smiles, a relaxed thing. “Okay.”<br/>
<br/>
</p>
<hr/><p><br/>
Their friendship takes time. Of course it does. </p><p>But that’s okay, because Peter’s in no rush to go anywhere.</p><p>In the end, he finds himself telling Michelle the truth about everything from start to finish.</p><p>She’s a good listener, an even better comforter.</p><p>And Peter thinks that what they have now is better than anything the universe could have given them.</p>
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